Advertising sign



` Fh. 2W, 1923.

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A DVERTISING SIGN.

Application tiled May 11,

- To all whom t concern:

Be it known that l, Benno v.` BLrziNes- LWEN, a citizen `of the United States of America, residing at` New York, in the county of Bronx and State ot New York, have invented certainnew and useful 1mprovements in Advertising Signs, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The `present invention relates to electric or other signs used for advertising purposes and has for its object to provide a simple and comparatively cheap sign frame in which individual characters, such as letters, numbers, figures or thelike can be removably and adjustably supported to enable various changes in the wording or display oi" the sign.

Another object is to provide means whereby the exchange of characters or the adjustment thereof in the sign can be eected very easily and quickly.

llVith these and other objects in view my invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which similar references denote corresponding parts,"Fig. 1 is a Jfront view of one form of construction of my new sign; Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof.; Figs. 3 to 6 are enlarged similar sections to F 2 each showing slight modifications of a detail;` Fig. 7 plate; Fig. 8`

isa front viewl of a character y of a modified construction is a front View of thesign; Fig. 9 a vertical section thereof; Figs. 10 and 11 areenlarged sections similar to Fig. 1; Fig. 12 a front view of a character frame; Fig. 13 a side view thereof; Figllta top plan view of two contiguous charactersand Fig. 15a cross section on line 15-15 of Fig. l

`Referring first to the construction shown in Figs.` 1 and 7 ,the sign comprises a frame 10 ofany desired shape (in the present eX- ample rectangular), made of wood or other suitable material and in form ot' a boX or casing. The interior of the casing may according to requirement be divided horizontally in compartments by partitions 11 and in each compartment there may' be provided sockets 12 for electric bulbs 13.

In front the frame or casing has an opening or openings 14:, one for each compartment, said openingsli extending longitudinally throughout the length of the comparti number or the or ledge and swinging it in i922. seriaino. 560,103.

ments. ln the bottom face of the top or upper ledge 15, as well as of the intermediate ledge or partition 11 near the front edges thereof, grooves 16 throughout the length of the opening, while the upper face of the intermediate ledge 11 and that o1 the bottom or lower ledge 17 ot the frame are recessed to form shoulders 18 extending in alinement with the rear 65` edges or walls of the groove 16. These grooves 16 and recessed parts serve as bearings for individual characters such as letters, numerals or the like which are adapted to be removably and adjustably supported in said frame. r1`he characters may be just ordinary rectangular plates with a letter, like painted or y embossed thereon, but I prefer to use characters, each consisting'substantially of a boxV shaped 75 trame 19 of suitable material, the front and rear walls of which have openings conform-` ingwith the contour ofa letter, numeral or other character and between whichwalls a plate 20 of semi-transparent material, as a 80 y colored glass, is removably supported, as best shown in Figs. 12 and 13. Such construction is fully describedin'a separate application. The grooves 16 are made of such depth, that groove and the recessed part of the bottom of the compartmentis slightly larger than the height of the frame 19 of the character, soI that the latter can be `conveniently positioned or removed, `by raising it inwardly into the groove'andof the supporting face an inclined position outwardly. To hold theindividual characters 19 in adjusted position within the sign frame and enable their simultaneous locking and unlocking, l provide the following means: Extending longitudinally through each compartment and rotatively borne in the side walls 10', of the frame 10,

is a horizontal spindle 21. At one side of the frame the spindle 21 carries on its outwardly projecting end a crank arm 22 which through a lock pin23 adapted toengage a notch or bore 102 in the character frames 19 and has xed thereon throughout its length a plurality of equidistantly arranged hook-shaped members or arms` 24, the spacing `between said arms 24 are provided extending 60 the height between the top or' a 85 the respective side wall of the frame 10 can be locked in a certain 105 beingequal :to the width of a character frame 19. Projecting from and fixed to the rear tace of each character fra-me is a. catch arranged so that whenthe spindle 21 is swung in a certa-in direction the hooks 24 thereof will engage said catches 25 and thereby lock the character' frames in position.

For very long signs it is advantageous to provide guides for the hooks 24e in order to insure the simultaneous engagement with the catches 25 of the characters 19. Such guides are shown in Figs. 3 and et to consist ot' brackets 26 iin ed to the bottom of each compartment and provided with cireularly curved recesses or grooves 27 in which the hoolrs24t are guided. rFhe catches 25 according to Figs. 2 and 3 are angular in shape. ln Fig. a the catch 25 is shown curved. `instead of using rigid catches, such as25, 25', I may use snap-pers or latches 252 as shown in Fig. 5, pivoted to the rear of the characterA frames as at 253. in Fig. 5 the guide members 26 are shown fixed to the rear wall of' the sign frame 10.

y In Figs. 5, 6 and 7 the character' is shown in form of a rectangular plate 28 with the letter, number or the like 29 embossed thereon.

' The characters may be secured in position by trietional engagement of arms 30 fixed to the spindle 21 with a cross rib 31 projecting from and fixed to the rear of the character 2S, as shown in Figs. 6 and '7. In the sign construction shown in Figs. S and 9 theI frame 32 is divided into a number of vertically superposed tiers. Instead of the fastening means shown in Figs. 1-6 there is afvvertically swinging ledge or bar 33 arranged in front of each compartment extending throughout the length of the latter Aand hinged or otherwise pivotally secured to the trame. l/Vhen swinging upwardly this ledge is adapted to bear against the lower portions of the character frames 19 or plates 28 and hold them steady in position, the characters 19 or 28 being borne inthe grooves 16 and on the recessed part of the bottoms of the compartments in the aforedescribed manner.

v The ledges 33 may be held in operative position `by set screws 34E engaging notches in the side walls of the Jframe 32 and carried by end arms 35 projecting from said ledges. Instead thumb screws 36 may be used7 which are screwed in the side walls of the frame and the arms may be hook-shaped as at 35 to engage said thumb screws, as shown in Figs. 10 and 11.

ln order to hold the character plates or frames in proper alinement and adjustmentin the sign Jframe the same are cut out or groovcd at their sides or if made oil two superposed sections the said lsections are transversel)v displaced relative to one another so that contiguous characters will overlap one another, as shown in Figs. la and 15.

To facilitate the positioning and the removal of the character plates or trames from t-he sign frame, l provide extra boards or plates 23T which are adapted to be located at 'the ends ot each tier. and which may be provided with forwardly projecting` lrnobs or the like 3S. Prior to removal or insertion of the character plates these. end plates 87 are removed.

Sign frames constructed in 'the aloredcscribed manner permit the wording and the display to be changed easily and in comparatively shorttime What l claim is 1. n advertising sign comprisingy a box shaped `frame. individual character members removabhY and adjustablj7 supported in said frame, a catch at the rear of each character frame, and connnon rotaryv means supported in said fra-me and members carried bv Isaid common means to engage s id catches and therebjlv lock said character ilrames in position.

2. An advertising sign comprising a box shaped frame, individual character memberi-i removal'iljY and adjustabl supported in said frame. a catch projecting` fron"A the rear ol' each character member, a spindle extending longitudinall;v through the frame and operable from the outside of the latter and means carried b v said Spindle to engage (he catches of said -character members and loch the latter in position.

3. An advertising sign comprising a box shaped` frame. iinlividual character members removably and adjustably supported in said frame. a catch projecting from the rear of each character member. a spindle extending lon ifitudimilljv through the trame and opel"- able from the outside of the, latter. hooked members carried b v said spindle and adapted to engage said catches` and guides l'or said hooked members.

ln testimony whereof l aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BRUNO ma 'nin/ruimisipowuN.

Witnesses g Max l). ORDMANN, JOSEPH T. MCMAHoN.

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